


Everything is Coming Together

by Sandentwins



Category: Taiyou no Ko Esteban | Les Mystérieuses Cités d'or | The Mysterious Cities of Gold
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Epilogue, F/M, Gen, M/M, Spoilers for Season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28549335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandentwins/pseuds/Sandentwins
Summary: The world is safe, the Cities have played their part. Everyone had gone on their way, each with their own goals and destinies; but twelve years later, they come together again, like the old friends they are, to catch up on all that happened.A little timeskip following the canon ending.
Relationships: Esteban/Tao (Taiyou no Ko Esteban), Isabella Laguerra/Mendoza
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Everything is Coming Together

Tao passively tapped his quill against the rim of the inkwell, thinking about his words for a few moments, before the flow in his head resumed and he could put down the next lines.

“ _I'm not sure of what to think about your prediction, though. It does sound a little worrying, put like this, but I know interpretation is a big part of astrology. Another eye than yours could see those same words as something positive, and there is never a single truth to what we see. I will admit all of this is still pretty new to me, but I suggest you sleep on it and come back tomorrow. Perhaps you will see your text with a fresher, more optimistic eye._ ”

Nested between some candles, Pichu was comfortably sleeping, bringing some green into the otherwise earth-colored study room. He twitched a little in his sleep, likely chasing some dream, and Tao paused for a moment to give him a little scritch on the head. He gazed down at the old tome the parrot was using as a perch, and it reminded him of another thing to write down.

“ _I would be honored to help you with your book. If you manage to send me a copy, I would gladly find it a place in the Tower's collection. Perhaps I could send you some of my own writings in return? I have made interesting breakthrough over the past months, and I think we will see successful results soon. I will keep you updated._ ”

Hm, seems he was reaching the end of his parchment. Seems he would have to wrap it up, then. But how to condense all he wanted to say into mere words?

“ _Please give my regards to everyone. As always, know that you are welcome to visit us anytime. I would gladly do the same, but something tells me I am still not welcome in Chambord. Tell Athanaos I honestly appreciated his package, and that I feel very touched by the attention. You will find enclosed a little gift of my own, that only felt appropriate to send in return.  
I wish you much luck and happiness, old friend. I hope this letter finds you in good health, and still as kicking as ever. I eagerly await your reply, and more of your fascinating observations.  
Until the Great Reunion,  
Taokan, Founder of the Order of the Condor_”

He let the ink dry up, rolled his scroll tight and shuffled around his desk to find some wax. It was but a light commotion, but it still woke up Pichu, who opened sleepy eyes and came to perch on his master's shoulder.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. I took that you had a nice nap?”

“Rrrrk.”

His only reply was to passively rub against Tao's neck, watching him do. Once the letter was sealed, Tao stood up, letting his eyes adjust to the comparatively bright hallway as he stepped out of his study. It was a bright day outside, but he has been cooped up for hours in end again. What could he say? He could get very absorbed in his work. Luckily, he had some assistants to remind him to take a break.

“You've been staying up all night again, Master Tao.”, one of them said, noticing his tired eyes. “It's not healthy for you.”

“I understand your concern. But science does not sleep, my dear! Neither shall I.”

Yet he still took a few bites of the food he was handed, before resuming business.

“Satya, could you have this letter sent to our colleagues of Chambord? I believe the merchant caravan is still in town.”

“Right on it, sir.”

“I've also got a package that goes along. Wait, let me get it.”

And he entered the familiar dimness of his study again, to get the little crate he's prepared a few days ago. Just a few nothings that his friends would appreciate, as well as more research material. 

However, as he cleared his cluttered desk to find it, a little gleam caught his eye. Curious, he pushed a few papers away, and his surprise rose to great levels when he saw that it was the golden point. It was doing that strange blinking light again; immediately, his heart started to pound fast.

“It's time.”

He quickly took out the package and sent his apprentice away with a few more instructions, before returning to the strange phenomenon taking place on his desk. He picked up the orichalcum point, tied the string to his wrist, and quickly went around the room trying to find the board.

“Friends, friends!”, Pichu happily crooned when he saw the light. “Friends!!”

“Yeah, it's our friends. It's been a while!”

So big a while that the wooden board has been buried under more books and mess, and it took him a good moment to get it out. But he eventually did, and set it flat on the ground, bringing a few candles to see better. Then he crouched by, and held his hand over the board, letting the point dangle from his wrist.

It kept blinking slowly, its gilded light illuminating the engraved symbols. There were about a hundred of them, word ideograms inlaid in orichalcum, spread about equally all over the board. Gently, Tao started swaying his hand, and the tool moved about like a pendulum, its light reflecting on the golden symbols as it passed over them; but then, one of them started glowing brighter. With his other hand, Tao quickly wrote it down before the light disappeared, then went at it again; another symbol glowed a moment later, then another. 

It went so for a minute or two, enough to point to a dozen signs or so. Then, other engravings on the edge of the board started glowing in turn, and Tao took note of them as well– numbers. It lasted for about a minute, after which the pyramid tip stopped shining, and he was left with a message.

“ _Everything is coming together. It is time to gather everyone by the full moon._ ”

And then, seemingly random numbers. Tao quickly went to fetch a map, laid it flat on the board and grabbed a protractor to make some calculations. These numbers turned out to be coordinates, and they pointed to a region that couldn't be mistaken.

Right on the southeast coast of Africa.

His heart barely caught up as he dashed his way down the hall of the Memory Tower, almost running into a wall and tripping on a step as he rushed downstairs. A few members of the Order just stared at him, but didn't pay any more mind than that, for their leader had already done worse and weirder things after all. Pichu quickly caught up to him and perched on his shoulder, and the two of them eventually made it out to the outer court.

It was still rather early, and there weren't many people about. The jungle nearby was somewhat quiet, and the weather pretty conciliatory. It was a warm day, one that would feel perfect for such an occasion. He looked up at the sky, and saw the moon in the horizon: only a few days left before its full phase, which wasn't a lot of time but still let him enough margin. 

“Master Tao, is everything alright? We've never seen you out this early.”

He scoffed, knowing this was very well an attempt at a joke. Of course he'd come out in the mornings too; but his attitude did have something strange to it.

“Something came up.”, he told his colleague. “Something...important. I must be off for a few days.”

“I hope that isn't bad news!”

“No...no, I don't think so. But I'd rather make sure. Can I trust you to take care of things in my absence?”

“That...yes, sir. I will.”

“I won't be long. But I might come back with very good news.”

He walked down the courtyard, to where his old friend was resting. Still as shiny as ever, it seemed, casually taking in sunlight to start the day on a good note. He took the solar key at his belt and held it up, and the Golden Condor's eyes lit up before its beak opened. Commonplace at it might now be, it still gave him that little bit of pride whenever he did it, for the mere concept of being the one to command the Condor now was just surreal. And yet it was true, and it made him feel like the adventure never truly stopped.

Even though most of the time, he'd be alone to ride in it.

The bird came back to life, and soon its feet lifted off the ground. Tao mentally checked a map of the area, figuring out in which direction to go, and the bird set off into the sky, away from the rising sun.

As he flew, Pichu landed on his lap, nesting comfortably. Tao smiled, giving him a hearty pat, as the now-familiar scenery started to become smaller and smaller underneath him.

“Friends.”, he crooned. “Esteban, Zia. All!”

“I hope we can see them all, too.”, Tao sighed. “It's been so long.”

Why now of all times? Why not before? He felt a bit jaded at the idea that he could have waited so much less time, but he tried to keep his thoughts in check. To have news at all was already fantastic, he couldn't be angry at them for taking their sweet time! 

But most importantly, echoes of the message still intrigued him. “To gather everyone by the full moon”...oh, he didn't want to be too optimistic, but what if he wasn't the only one on the road right now? What if their message had somehow been relayed to other ears as well, what if they were planning something big? He'd hate to get his hopes up, but there was no way around it. It would be great, he knew it.

“I just can't wait.”

~~~~~ 

The warning horn sounded out, just as the Condor's feet touched to the ground. Shortly after, Tao headed out, and found himself welcomed by a very eager crowd. All that attention sure was something! But it was hard to match such warmth, such friendship, even in a lot of places he's been to. Without a doubt, Mutapa truly was a welcoming place.

Maybe that's why he was brought here.

Almost nothing had changed. The stone walls were still standing tall, the air was still warm from metalwork, bird statuettes were as present as ever. In the heart of Zimbabwe, the energy door was still standing, shut off as always. Yet now it was surrounded with all sorts of tributes and offerings, like a shrine to some new deity that just made its debut into the world. Peace had returned to the world, and he was so glad to see everything going smoothly, everyone still enjoying their lives in happiness.

“It's been a while. But I'm so glad to see you all.”

Among some familiar faces he met, there were some he didn't recognize, of course; he couldn't possibly know everyone, even if he tried. And yet, among the crowd of children that came his way, there were two he identified without he's ever seen them.

“Oh, my! What do have we here?”

He crouched down, showing a smile, and the two girls appeared a little scared that he was speaking to them. They looked about five or six years old, with adorable chubby cheeks and an unmistakeable shy demeanor.

“You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you! Soon you'll be even taller than me.”

But they didn't seem to exactly know who he was, as shown by their dubious glances. One of them hid behind her sister, who timidly approached.

“Um...who are you, mister?”, she asked in a shy voice.

“Oh...oh right, you were just babies last time. You can't possibly remember me.”

Tao chuckled, letting Pichu perch on his hand. The parrot always intrigued all children he came across, and helped ease the mood a lot.

“I'm a friend of your dad's. My name is Tao. And, let's see...”

He grinned a little, and pointed to the girls in turn.

“You must be Maria, and...you're Manyara, right?”

“No, _I'm_ Maria!”, the shy one suddenly spoke with anger, stepping out of her sister's shadow. 

“Oh, such silly me!”, Tao whined, comically smacking his forehead. “How could I _ever_ have made such a mistake?!”

The girls giggled at his sorrow, and Tao internally smiled, seeing these two have completely fallen for it. Then it was Pichu's turn to entertain the small crowd, flapping and cooing around, letting Tao stand back up and look around. The twins' mother wasn't far behind, and judging by the appetizing smell in the air, neither was their dad. And since pretty much everyone in the city had caught wind of his arrival, he naturally invited himself in.

Some people had great goals of adventure, riches or knowledge, and he knew a few like those. But some would find their life ambition in humble pursuits, like stability and family; and it never looked as true as with Sancho. Tao barely recognized him at first, but as always, the sight of old friends made him as happy as could be. And he still was very soft to hug, it seemed.

“Well, seems like you've definitely made a home for yourself here!”, he teased. “I was about to ask you to come on a treasure hunt with me, but I doubt you've got time for that anymore.”

“It's, it's all good now. I'm done...I'm done with adventure. Now I have...I have other things to ca...to care about, you...you know?”

“I want aventure!!”, Maria interjected, holding onto Tao's sleeve. “Please, can we come on aventure?? Please please please?”

“Why you look a little young for that.”, Tao chuckled, lifting her up in his arm. “And you've already got everything you need here. Trust me, you don't want to make your mama and papa sad by leaving.”

Manyara giggled, calmly sitting by Sancho's side. Her sister pouted and crossed her arms, clearly not interested in stepping down.

“'s not fair.”, she whined. “Pedro says you go on the aventures a lot!”

“That was before. Now, I've got things of my own to take care of.”

He put her back down.

“By the way, where is he? You two are always stuck together.”

“He's...he's at the forge. That's where...he spends most of...most of his days, now.”

Tao couldn't blame him. To be surrounded in fine gold and precious metals, all day long? That'd be the kind of life he would get up to. 

“I'll go say hi real quick. Keep me a seat, I'll be back.”

Outside, the sight of the Golden Condor had attracted some curious eyes. The great golden bird of legend, finally coming back: what an event! What an occasion! Tao couldn't help but stare at it for a moment, quite impressed himself. How majestic of a creature, wasn't it? 

Pichu had stayed with Sancho's little family, so he couldn't have possibly warned him in time. In his deep thoughts, Tao couldn't hear the footsteps that hurried his way. No, the only way he grew aware of what was happening was when he was tackled right in the back, with a force that took him so much by surprise that he fell right onto the ground, his breath cut off and his train of thought hijacked into crashing.

“Think fast!!”, a voice called right as it happened.

Tao inhaled like he could, trying to get back up. He turned around with difficulty, attempting to see who had knocked him over like this, and the sight of messy black locks answered his question, all while raising so many more.

“Not fast enough.”, the kid snickered. “You lost!”

“Wh- Víbora!? Is that you?!”

He managed to push him off enough to stand up, and dusted himself up. The kid just grinned at him, a little shit-eating grin that only betrayed his mischievousness even more than tackling his friends.

“What are you doing here?”, Tao asked. “Where are your parents?”

“Still in Kilwa. They have business to do, but they'll join in later.”

“That's a hundred leagues away! I hope Gaspard came with you!”

Víbora just shrugged.

“He did, he did. Don't worry.”

But Tao kept glaring at him, in a way that made him turn his face away after a moment. 

“...until I ditched him somewhere in the savanna.”

“I can't believe you! You mean you're all alone here!?”

“Relax! I'll be fine. Mama gave me her gun, see?”

And he lifted his vest a little, to reveal the holstered pistol at is belt. Tao sighed, frustrated to be faced with such carefree parenting. 

“I can't believe they let you do this. You're barely ten!”

“I'm eleven!”, Víbora huffed. “Almost twelve! I'm old enough to be on my own.”

He snickered, taking the blue-beaded pistol out to spin it in hand. It was obvious he had skill with it, but in contrast with his young age, it only seemed worse.

“I'm not afraid of wild beasts. If they try to come at me, I'll shoot them right between the eyes!”

And he pointed his gun forward, prompting Tao to quickly try to have him put it away. He obliged, but evaded his grasp yet again, stepping instead towards the Golden Condor to see it from close. Tao just sighed in tired frustration, wondering where he could possibly get this from.

“...have you been here for long?”

“A few days. We got news that something was happening in Zimbabwe, so we went to check it over. Until the geezers got held back on the coast.”

“Is that how you speak of your own parents?”

“What? They're fine with it.”

“...I really need to get in a word with them about how they're raising you.”

Víbora simply shrugged. From what Tao knew, Mendoza and Laguerra have always been pretty hands-off parents, and it showed. Their son was a rude mouth and a snarky little butt, but at least he was independent and could take care of himself. 

It was weird to think that at some point, Tao and his friends were the same: children going through the world, headed for adventure at such a young age. Anyone in their right mind would have objected, and the kids would have protested, for they _obviously_ knew what they were doing. This couldn't have been farther from the truth, for they've been but clueless and lost children, and yet they felt like they could take on the world. They've learned a lot from it, too; so who was he to tell this boy he couldn't do what himself did? In the end, he just sighed, and ruffled his hair with affection.

“But I'm glad you made it in one piece. I'll admit, you're impressive.”

“That's just the basics.”, he giggled, trying to swat Tao's hand away. “Just wait till I'm old enough to get my own ship.”

“Well until then, don't run away from adults who take care of you. Impressive or not, you just can't pull off such stunts on your own.”

“What do _you_ know about that? You did the same.”

“I had my friends with me, including your dad. And they saved my life many times. You should never go on big journeys alone.”

Víbora scoffed, with that face that meant he got the message, but didn't want to make it seem like he'd obey. He freed himself from another head pat, and went on to check out the warriors' sharp and shiny spears.

A few days, huh? Guess someone else had gotten the message. He glanced at the pyramid tip at his belt, wondering what else his friends had in store for him. Could it be...they've found a way to gather everyone? As great as it sounded, perhaps it was far from the truth. But part of him wanted to keep up hope. He's been needing it a lot, these times, and perhaps his waiting would finally pay off.

After some more thinking, he went to check on the energy door. For years, it has stood here closed, since no medallions could open it anymore. (Which in itself was kind of a jerk move, anyway. How could Esteban have expected Tao to use the Golden Condor if he took the only keys with him?) Various offerings of food, gold and flowers gave it this spiritual and worshipped aura, a place that was to welcome all sorts of stories and myths about it. And there were many stories to be told about the children that saved the world from the skyfire; perhaps he was a part of them too? Was this the legacy he'd leave to the world? Well, all things considered, it wasn't too bad, maybe.

“Just hurry.”, he said to no one in particular. “I've waited years for this day, and you two owe me a whole lot of tales.”

~~~~~ 

There were a couple days left before the full moon, during which Tao was of course invited to stay in Zimbabwe. It was the perfect occasion to catch up with his old friends, and see all that he's missed for these last few years. 

Peace had slowly returned to the world, and while life wasn't perfect, the echoes of the Great Cataclysm have finally settled. The end of times has been avoided, and a new generation has been born. Life was following its course, unstoppable and eternal, and it reassured him like nothing else.

It felt a little strange to meet up with his old buddies, to share stories of before and what his adventures used to be like. The twins already knew a lot of these, thanks to their uncle's constant storytelling fever, but it seemed Víbora could never have enough of Tao's reminiscences of their journeys on land, sea and sky. And of course, everyone else that would listen on would meet his tales with the same excitement and wonder. 

Though again, it was Pedro who did most of the telling, since he had such a knack for it, and Tao could not find it in him to deny him that joy. He thought it a little weird that despite his seemingly satisfying relationship with the Princess, he did not have any children yet; but he figured the King had something to do with that. Ah well, he had his nieces to dote on, so he was happy all the same. At the end of the day, that's what mattered most.

On the dawn of the third day, two more foreigners came to join the gang, to Víbora's painfully-concealed happiness. And it felt to Tao like a breath of nostalgia, for he couldn't fathom just how old they looked. But Mendoza and Laguerra were well on their way to their fifties now, and seemed to have weathered more than they've aged: a life on the seas had brought out that pirate aura they've always had, and made it into something instantly recognizable and defining. Yet under that rough and those gray hairs, Mendoza still had that warmth about him, that only grew more obvious with time and fatherhood. No matter how old Tao was, he'd still feel like a little boy with him around, as if the old sailor just had that power to him. As for Isabella, while she still had that sharp bite about her, it felt as if her shell had somewhat softened with time, like glass smoothed out by the sea over years' worth of tides. She was the same swashbuckling adventurer she's always been, and her many battle scars proved it; but it felt as if she's grown past her fear of opening up to others. Or at least, it wasn't as prominent anymore. And if their couple has grown past the point of excessive honey-sweetness, it was obvious that they still harbored a lot of affection for one another, and for their son as well. In their own, slightly weird way, that is.

He's missed this. He's missed sitting all together, gathered around a fire and a good meal, telling each other stories of what they've been up to. It's not like Tao was always alone, now that he had a whole brotherhood of his own; but it just wasn't the same. He didn't have with the Order of the Condor the same battle-forged bonds as with that of his old friends', the same memories of exciting journeys and discoveries all throughout the world. He's missed this so terribly, he's missed the calling of adventure and exploration, now that he had responsibilities and duties; and to be here with all his friends kind of made up for it.

Well, almost all.

By the time evening came, everyone knew what would happen. No one had spoken of it, no one has even mentioned it besides in passing, but it seemed as if everyone had spread the word of what was to take place. Under the light of the full moon, they gathered around the shrine, silent and waiting, the peace of this moment left untroubled and untouched by even the slightest of words. Even the young children knew something was about to happen, and they anxiously held on their parents' hands as they watched, and waited still.

Tao's heart was pounding like crazy. He could hear it in his temples, feel it in his legs, sense it in his gut. He didn't know for sure what was going to happen, or when and how, and it made him awfully nervous. His hands were clenched around the pyramid tip, anxiously waiting for the tiniest sign, and squeezed it so much that the indents left some marks on his fingers. On his shoulder, Pichu was feeling all that stress, toetapping nervously like he couldn't handle all that emotion. In the sky, the clouds parted away, revealing the gilded light of the full moon, and Tao's head rose with hope and apprehension.

Nothing happened at first. He begged in his mind, he prayed, he pleaded for something to take place, to reassure him, to justify everyone's presence in this very place. And it felt like an awfully long wait until at last, the first signs of something _did_ happen, and the golden point in his hands came to life. It was but a weak gleam, a blinking one, but it was here, and it couldn't be mistaken for anything else. His eyes turned to the door, his heart pounding away, and that's when it happened.

Out of nowhere, a flame flickered. It felt so faint, dancing in the air for only a fraction of a second; and then it appeared again, bigger and sparkier this time. The characters on the door started to light up, and the air felt tense with energy. In a matter of instants, the light grew brighter and bigger, fractionated as if it was unstable; but then it started to take shape, molding itself into a silhouette Tao would have recognized anywhere. And before he knew it, before anyone knew it, the light grew so bright it almost blinded them – and just as fast as it came, it disappeared. But the unmistakeable sound of feet on the ground then broke the silence, and when everyone's eyes opened again, they were met with the sight of _them_.

The two of them opened their eyes, as if they've just woken up from a long sleep. They looked around them, a little confused, but seemed to recognize their surroundings. A second passed, then two, then three, before they stood upright and faced the crowd. And then, everyone broke into cheers.

After twelve years of absence, the Chosen Ones were back.

~~~~~ 

It felt so weird to see them again. Tao had almost forgotten their faces, but to have them again here, in the flesh was like whiplash. 

They looked as if they've barely aged since that day. They were adults now, but they still retained that youth to them, that made them seem like creatures from another world. There was an unknown poise in their gestures, something graceful and delicate, and he sure wondered where they could have been taught that. But especially, there was peace in their eyes, as if they've lived all that time in some sort of eternal bliss. 

“The world is so different from what we thought.”, Zia explained as they were telling their story. “The Cities of Gold are not places. They're…they're more like _living beings_ , with their own self-awareness. And they have seen so much.”

“Eternity is the place they go to when they close up.”, Esteban followed. “It's some sort of resting area, some...some point between all worlds that have ever existed. It's there, but it's nowhere as well.”

Needless to say, their explanations were pretty difficult. But they spoke them as if they were natural, as if everyone could perfectly understand the complicated concepts they were dealing with.

“And...what is it like, in Eternity?”, Tao asked.

“It's very strange. There's no day or night, there are no seasons. And yet I never felt time pass.”

“It's like we didn't even need time. We didn't need anything, neither food nor sleep...why, I'm sure we didn't even need to breathe! It's as if time had been frozen still, but we could move as we wished.”

“Neither food nor sleep?”, Pedro interjected. “What kind of miserable existence is that!?”

They all laughed, in a manner so simple yet so distant. How long has it been since they've last been there, gathered together and discussing?

“It's not that bad.”, Zia shrugged. “But...I have to admit I've missed this.”

And she happily bit into a fruit, slowly taking in the flavor as if she was experiencing eating for the very first time.

“It's an amazing place.”, Esteban continued. “I...I think it's some sort of afterlife. We've met people that couldn't possibly have been alive...and at many points I wonder if _we_ had died too. But I just knew I was still alive, you know? I could feel it.”

He put a hand to his chest, searching around his breast until he found his heartbeat again. How long had he feared it would suddenly stop one day, and leave him as dead as all those ghosts of the past he's claimed to meet? It felt horribly dreadful to envision, and Tao didn't even want to think about it. 

“This must have been quite an experience.”, Mendoza nodded. “But I'm glad you were safe. You wouldn't give up so easily, anyway, would you?”

“There's no way we could die in Eternity. Not when there was so much to explore!”

He's told them about it. While everyone was living their life, these two have been exploring the Cities of Gold in great detail, uncovering every last bit of their knowledge, and getting so familiar with them that this place had become like a home to them. There was no way they could abandon it anymore, not when it still had a lot to show them. Perhaps they would make their life there...if it could still be called life.

Tao noticed the way their hands were brushing together, the way they looked at each other. He wasn't clueless, nor was he jealous. After all, had there ever been any other outcome? These two were the Chosen Ones; their fate has been decided long before their birth. In a sense, it felt right...but that didn't mean he couldn't be a little bitter about it.

“I suppose you won't be coming back to Earth?”, he asked after a moment. “Not when there's so much to do in Eternity.”

“Well...”

It was obvious the question made them uneasy. It was hard to speak about, of course, and he didn't expect them to have made their minds entirely. And perhaps Víbora sensed it, for he turned the question to a whole other topic.

“So when are you two having babies?”

From unease, Esteban and Zia shifted right into embarrassment and fluster, their tattooed cheeks now red as could be. The kid just grinned like a troublesome little devil, knowing fully well this would happen, and Mendoza playfully bapped his head.

“Come on, don't pressure them. Let them figure it out on their own.”

But from the two's avoiding glances and very awkward behavior, it was obvious this subject was far from figured out. In all their time spent alone, growing up together and with no possible rivals in sight, they've never even thought about it? If so, then they were even more clueless than Tao would ever have thought.

“I doubt that's possible.”, the latter said, trying to relieve the mood. “Based on what you told us, it's very unlikely anyone can be born in Eternity. You won't have to worry about it.”

“Well...we're not _there_ yet, anyway...”, Esteban attempted. “It's...it's all a little complicated, that's all.”

Tao rose a brow. In twelve years, they haven't moved past holding hands? Either they were completely clueless, either...yes, perhaps the nature of Eternity made it so. If they had no need for food or sleep, it could be possible they had no need for romantic fulfillment, or anything of that nature. To be content with holding hands and maybe a kiss or two, for the rest of their eternal life? That sure would be something…

It seemed that even after their departure, these two still had a lot of surprises in store. And perhaps it would never end at all.

~~~~~ 

“You can't sleep either, can you?”

Esteban turned around, breaking from his contemplation.

“I have lost the habit. But it's fine, I'm not tired.”

He stifled a yawn, trying to keep up with his lie. Then he resumed gently caressing the Condor's foot, admiring the way the moon gleamed on its shiny hull. 

“I've lost a lot of habits over time. I'm sure that if I were to prolong my stay, I'd starve to death or something.”

He chuckled, walking along to feel more of the bird's body. Tao hesitantly followed, watching him do so without knowing what to do.

It's like he barely changed. He was so different, obviously, and definitely not the little boy Tao remembered. But he's kept that same youthfulness, that same spark to him no matter how fancy his clothes were, how intricately tattooed his cheeks and arms were, how spectral his honey eyes seemed like in the light of the moon. He looked like a whole new person, but under that shell of magic, he still was his old friend. His first friend ever, that he's lived so many adventures with. 

“I guess that means...you won't stay long.”, Tao eventually said.

Esteban looked at him, with a rather sorry expression.

“I don't want to cause you trouble.”, he softly said. “But to be here...it almost feels like it hurts. And there's so much we have to do, so little time...”

He started rubbing his arms, as if he were cold. His clothes were not made for the freshness of night, and it was obvious he'd forgotten about it. Instinctively, Tao moved closer, embracing him with his long sleeves, and Esteban smiled. 

“But it's alright. I wanted to see you so badly, I can handle it all.”

“I don't want you to suffer because of me.”

“But I'm not suffering.”

He smiled, and his hand held onto Tao's.

“I'm fine. I've never been so fine.”

He had trouble believing him, but his smile was as warm as could be, so much that it reassured him a little. His hand was warm, too, radiating sunlight as if it wanted to warm up the entire world. They locked eyes for a moment, not saying anything, until Tao eventually drew his' away, unable to handle the sheer paleness of his friend's. 

“So...what about you?”, Esteban asked after a moment. “I've yet to hear your own tale.”

“I guess I've been doing fine. The Order of the Condor was a success, by the way.”

“No Zares in sight so far?”

“I'm making sure of it.”

The two of them sat down in a patch of grass under the Condor, letting the light of the moon bathe over them.

“I'm working on replicating some of the Mu technology we've seen. We have achieved a first version of the diamonds of Ophir, and we're currently running tests.”

“The stones of healing?”

“If we can successfully produce them in large quantities, we could do so much! All the dangerous diseases we could cure, the wounds we could heal! We could help so many people with that knowledge!”

“You're putting your ancestors' legacy to a noble cause. They'd be so proud of you.”

Gently, Esteban embraced him a little, and Tao let him. He's missed it a lot, what could he say? He closed his eyes, enjoyed it while he could, for the very next day he could very well be gone.

“I'm sorry we couldn't come sooner.”, Esteban then said. “There was...there was so much to do. And we missed you a lot, but we couldn't do anything about it...”

He sighed, and then smiled at him.

“But we can change that. We can make things better.”

“What do you mean?”

And he simply offered his hand to him. Tao looked at it for a moment, unsure if he should take it.

“You could come with us.”, Esteban said. “You're more than worthy of accessing Eternity.”

Tao rose his eyes at him.

“With you? You mean...like, _with you_?”

“We have room for you. You could research so much! The secrets of the Cities would be open to you!”

Tao had to stop to recollect his thoughts, completely taken aback by what he was just offered. To be with his friends, united again like in the good old days, and spend their life exploring and discovering all these secrets? Immediately, his heart pressured him to accept, to take that hand and follow them...but his mind held him back.

“I...I'd be honored.”, he hesitated. “But...I can't. I'm sorry.”

Esteban blinked.

“I'd love to, really. But now, I...I have responsibilities, and duties, and...I can't just give up now. There's people that need me here, and we're so close to our goal...”

It hurt to say. And he was sure it hurt to hear. But Esteban didn't say anything, simply looking down with hints of sadness in is beautiful eyes.

“...I understand.”, he answered after a time. “It's selfish of me to ask you to come.”

“I'm sorry. I really wish I could, but life...well, it's what it is.”

“Yeah.”

He chuckled a bit. 

“Bet your wife wouldn't agree either.”

“My...my what?”

The two of them blinked, looking at each other, until Tao felt he had to clear something up.

“I'm...I'm not married, you know. Or with anyone, really.”

“Really? How curious...wasn't that your goal?”

“Maybe at first, but...”

He sighed.

“Indali and I have tried. We...we were together for a time, and it was great. But in the end, we didn't work out. We didn't have the same goals, it...it just wasn't what we wanted. She's married to someone else now, someone that makes her happy, and that's about it. Since then, I...”

He rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“I guess I haven't been in the mood to try since. There was a lot of work to do, and there still is. I mean...do you see work-crazed little me raising a family? No, it's best I...you know.”

“I don't know. That's kind of the point.”

Esteban chuckled.

“I guess that even outside of Eternity, some things never change.”

“We can't all leave our comfort zones. I'm not saying we should always stay in the same place, but...sometimes it doesn't hurt either.”

“It feels comforting.”

Gently, Esteban's head laid down to rest on Tao's shoulder. And the latter didn't say anything, for he's missed this as well. The simplicity of their friendly touches, the warmth of amity, the reassuring mark of each other's presence watching over them. Nothing bad would happen to him here, Tao would make sure of it. 

“Perhaps...if not now, maybe later.”, Esteban said. “When you feel ready, you'll just have to contact us. And we'll take you in.”

“Whisk me away to the afterlife, like the reapers you are?”

“In a sense.”

They both chuckled from the silly imagery. But underneath that sorrowful implication, the message was clear.

“Is it...that good, in Eternity?”

“It's peaceful. So peaceful that I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life there.”

Esteban turned a bit to face him.

“But it's so different too. Every second I spend on Earth reminds me of a sensation I couldn't feel anymore.”

“That must be horrible...”

“You get used to it. It's pretty good, actually...but there are some things I'd love to enjoy while I'm here.”

“What kind of things?”

Esteban's only answer was to gently tighten his hold on Tao's hand. The latter blinked, not getting it, but his friend's gaze met his own again, and it conveyed all sorts of things no words could ever express with the same efficiency.

“Eternity just doesn't feel right without you. The two of us are not enough.”

“Nor does Earth feel right without the two of you.”

“Then, would you like...we give you something to remember us by?”

Tao wasn't sure what that could mean, but again, Esteban's eyes betrayed his thoughts. So he nodded, and let him come a little closer. He softly closed his eyes, and just let it happen, let him have a taste of yet something else he's missed on. 

Like the dry heat of the desert only made water feel more refreshing, or the pang of hunger only made food tastier and more fulfilling, a touch-starved life only made simple gestures like this into a much-needed relief. Tao didn't even know he needed this, but everything told him he did, and it felt wonderful. And so the two of them savored it for a beautiful instant, one that seemed to last forever in the silence of the land and the shine of moonlight.

Their lips parted, and they looked at each other. Esteban smiled, as if he's just discovered something absolutely amazing, and Tao asked himself why he even let it happen. But then, he smiled in turn, feeling it wasn't so bad. 

“Now I'll definitely remember you even more.”, he laughed.

“It's only a preview of what awaits you in Eternity. Well, at least until we start not feeling like it anymore.”

“Now you're selling it to me. How am I supposed to bear the wait?”

“Well, you could always join us right now. No one's stopping you.”

Tao snorted, and playfully pushed him away. But then he got up, and offered him a hand.

“Come.”, Esteban said. “Let's find Zia. This is our last night on Earth, so let's do all sorts of crazy stuff while we can!”

“I have a bad feeling about what you mean by 'crazy stuff'.” 

“Nothing of the sort, let me reassure you. Well, unless you ask for it.”

“I swear, not even an entire lake could quench your thirst at that point!”

“I haven't felt thirst in twelve years! Let me indulge myself a little.”

And they both laughed it out, before returning to the city, hand in hand, determined to make the best out of tonight. Soon would come the time to part, to return to their daily lives, but he knew it wouldn't be for long. He would wait as long as it took until they could be together again; but for now, he'd make sure the three of them would go home without any regrets. Only good memories, promises and the reassuring knowledge of their friendship still being strong, through time and space. 

There could be no other way, after all. They were the Children of the Sun, and not even years or dimensions could keep them apart.

**Author's Note:**

> People: The canon ending _clearly_ disproved Estaozia, there's no way Stebs/Sanden can put it in while staying canon-compliant!
> 
> Me: _**You underestimate my power, mortal!!**_


End file.
